India, April 29 -- There's a common saying in western Washington: "The mountain is out." The mountain in question is Mount Rainier. Also known as Mount Tacoma, this hulking stratovolcano is the tallest mountain in the state and a beloved fixture of the Seattle-Tacoma skyline. Whenever it makes an appearance on the far horizon, everybody notices. Even from 70-odd miles away, it's still a wonder to behold. But then, you see it up close.

"Out of the forest at last there stood the mountain, wholly unveiled, awful in bulk and majesty, filling all the view like a separate, newborn world..." These were the words naturalist John Muir used to describe Mount Rainier in 1888, and they still ring true today. Looming over 14,400 feet high, the mounta...